Keith Marshall has committed to play at Georgia, and Tom Lemming says he could see carries sooner rather than later.
File photo by Damon Thomas
It's not the NFL, but a draft of top-flight high school football players will take place Friday night (7 p.m., EST) during the weekly Tom Lemming show on the CBS Sports Network.
This will be a draft to determine the team matchups for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, which will be held Jan. 3 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The game is the brainchild of Shaon Berry and the sponsoring U.S. Marine Corps. Berry owns rights to the game and also is the president of Junior Rank Sports. He calls the game "kind of unique. The Marine Corps is very involved. We look for some intangibles (when choosing the players) as well as athletic ability. Things like leadership and discipline. We let guys play their way in (by having outstanding senior years)."
The game will pit the East against the West, with a total of nearly 100 players to be equally divided. Special uniforms, somewhat resembling those worn by the University of Oregon Ducks, will be unveiled, Berry said.
The draft will be conducted by Sergeant Major Michael Logan and Brigadier General Jody Osterman, along with Berry and Lemming, who was chairman of the selection committee.
The game will be televised nationally (4 p.m., MST) by the CBS Sports Network. One day earlier, 300 of the nation's premier underclassmen will participate in the Proving Ground, a Chase Field combine that also will be televised nationally.
Tommy Schutt's move to Ohio State isa testament to Urban Meyer's quicksuccess on the recruiting scene.
File photo by John Rowland
* Lemming is totally impressed by Urban Meyer's early recruiting as the new head football coach at Ohio State University.
"Urban already is working his magic," Lemming said. "He's turned out to be the best godsend to Ohio State. I don't think they're going to miss a beat, especially when they've got the NCAA coming down (with possible sanctions)."
That includes commitments from
Tommy Schutt, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman from
Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and
Se'von Pittman, a 6-5, 245-pound defensive lineman/tight end from
McKinley (Canton, Ohio). Schutt, who earlier had committed to Penn State, is ranked No. 46 in the nation by Lemming. Pittman, who had been Michigan State's top recruit, is No. 63 among Lemming's Top 100.
* A recent commitment from
Keith Marshall is huge for the University of Georgia. Lemming rates the 5-11, 190-pounder from
Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.) as the 25th-best player in the country. Lemming called it "Super big. He's one of the most explosive running backs in the country. Georgia is desperate for running backs and it's a great start for them. He will come in thinking that he is going to start right away."
* A rather unique situation has developed recently with
Arik Armstead, a 6-7, 285-pound two-way lineman from
Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.), who is No. 28 on Lemming's list. Armstead, who has decommitted from the University of Southern California, wants to play football and basketball in college.
The South Bend Tribune reported this week that University of Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey made a trip to California to visit Armstead - who wants to enroll early - and encourage him to immediately join the Fighting Irish basketball team, which could use some extra muscle. He also has visited Alabama and Oregon and plans to visit Texas this weekend.
Lemming noted, "That would be a great move for Notre Dame if they can get him. He's one of the premier tackles in the country. They've been pretty quiet (on the recruiting front) for the past couple months. If they get him and
Gunner Kiel (the nation's No. 1 quarterback from
Columbus East (Ind.)) they'll be back in business."
* Lemming also sees good recruiting days ahead for the University of Kansas, which hired Charlie Weis as head coach, and Washington State, which hired Mike Leach.
He believes that Weis "will make them a player in the Big 12. They've been nonexistent for years."
He calls Leach "their best catch ever. It's the worst place in the country to draw kids, but he's a great coach and great developer of talent."
* After this week, Lemming's next show will air on Friday, Jan. 6.
